Venture To Roaring Fork Valley For Colorado Golf Vacation Fun
Saturday, April 9th, 2011More than Mountains, Aspen Golf Vacation Brings Nature Back to the Links
What thoughts do you have when a trip to Colorado crosses your mind? The Rocky Mountains are probably an initial notion. Maybe it is skiing and snowboarding, or maybe setting up camp near a stream at high altitude amidst the splendor of unfettered wildlife and pristine countryside. To be sure, the Centennial State is well-known for these things, but a Colorado golf vacation encompasses so much more.
A unique aspect of golfing in Coloradothat is hard to find elsewhere is exclusive lodgings at affordable prices. As most people know, Colorado is home to many of the country’s swankiest ski resorts. Even the more affordable resorts boast exquisite hotel and restaurant opportunities. Well, before and after ski season, those same resorts drastically reduce the cost of rooms and food. This means that exclusive resorts in Aspen in the Roaring Fork Valley are open tovirtually all budgets.
The Roaring Fork Valley has some of the finest golf opportunities in the state, and the area golf community shows pride in their array of courses. Cut out of the native habitat, courses in the valley received their blueprints from names such as Jack Nicklaus and Jim Engh, who has won many design awards. Several area golf clubs have received Top 10 ratings by a number of golf magazines and associations. The Ranch at the Roaring Fork near Carbondale is a family-oriented, budget-conscious choice with nine holes of 27-par golf.
Studies show that golfers tend to be enthusiastic bike riders too, and the Roaring Fork Valley is an ideal setting to add a bike tour to your Colorado golf vacation. Tucked into the flats along the Roaring Fork River, the Rio Grande bike trail starts in the middle of world-famous Aspen and follows the river 45 paved miles downstream to Glenwood Springs. The trail has numerous spots to exit so nobody gets left behind if they tucker out. Just get off the trail and wait for one of the Roaring Fork Transportation Association’s busses to get you back to your starting point. RFTA busses are equipped to carry numerous bicycles, as well as their riders.
In the lower and middle part of the valley, several mountain trails are readily accessible. These trails give the greenhorn as well as the veteran rider all the variety they could ask for. The 14-mile Porcupine Loop is a casual and relaxed trek, or take the trail in the Red Hill Recreation area for a more challenging tour with incredible views of Mount Sopris and the valley.
The people of Colorado are some of the most environmentally conscious in the country , and this is reflected in the way Colorado golf courses are managed. A primary focus has been to tread as lightly as possible around natural habitat for the state’s wild population. It is very common to see several whitetail does being trailed by a big buck or two not far from where you are lining up your putt.
Golf courses in the state are increasingly taking up water conservation strategies and boosting wildlife habitat, saving a third of the land for natural habitation and water conservation. While a typical residential lawn requires 18 gallons of water, superintendants in Colorado are able to keep their grass green on 15 gallons per acre. So, your Colorado golf vacation can be eco-friendly. The Audubon Society has actually certified some courses as cooperative sanctuaries.
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